Williams Family Blog: Two Years!

 

Believe it or not, we have celebrated two years of living in Central Florida!  Coincidentally?  Ironically?  On the actual anniversary date, we were in Iowa!

The People:  

With family, Todd's brother and his wife, not far--in Lakeland, FL, it is a delight to spend time together. We have also made friends with neighbors and community members. The pool is definitely a hub and weekly dominoes night is a great way to catch up.  We also have Disney friends who traverse Disney Parks and Disney Springs with us. . . or us with them. 

Yesterday, for example, I was able to call the Cashier at Aldi by her name, before seeing her nametag. At dominoes, Todd was complimented on his shirt and it was noted that it was the first time people were seeing him wear a non-Disney shirt. After dominoes I phoned a neighbor friend who is leaving on a trip soon and asked if they wanted to do something before leaving.  We have plans to go to EPCOT today. 

One evening last week, we walked to neighbor friends' home to play cards.  A group hosted the first community-wide Bingo night, with plans for once a month. While we were in Iowa over the weekend, I had calls and text messages from various neighbors.  We are connected.

The Places:

Walt Disney World Resort offers fun that we could participate in daily if desired.  Our theme park passes have no "black out" dates and the waterparks are included with our passes.  Nearly anywhere on Disney property is two stoplights away. I also have super-secret spots in the Disney Springs parking garages. 

Universal Orlando Resort is also not far, requiring no Interstate driving.  SeaWorld and its partner parks are even closer to us. 

We can make a round-trip drive to Orlando International Airport in less than an hour. 

Downtown Orlando is also not far to our East and we have enjoyed multiple offerings at Dr. Philips Performing Art Center. 

Beaches are to our East--Atlantic Ocean, and West--Gulf Coast. I have a bag ready for the pool and another bag ready for the beach.

The Services:

Within walking distance is shopping for any needs other than shoes/clothing.  We have grocery stores, dentist offices, hair and nail salons, banks, and restaurants. Various shopping locations are nearby. Now that we have switched primary care physicians, medical care is closer to our home.  When we first went to our dentist, there was a curtness that we hadn't experienced before.  But now, the interactions are softer.  Maybe they see so many new patients that having us keep coming back lowered the guard? 

I have recommended car mechanic services, butcher, nail salon (where I am on a first name basis with the technicians), and realtors. 

The Things:

As for literal "things" we have fewer of them and less need.  We successfully manage with one vehicle.  There's no need to clutter our space with new things and I must confess, there are still some packed boxes.

The figurative "things" include traffic--it can be horrific on certain roads at certain times of the day.  We plan accordingly.  Also, distance.  The nearest branch of our banking institution is 40 minutes away (18 miles) depending on traffic. Weather: What can I say other than most of the time it is marvelous. When it gets hot, we adjust the time of day we're outside.  There are storms, but infrequent. The husband is now hooked on wearing shorts daily. Diversity: It's amazing!  So many cultures and languages in our community.  Expense:  Goods and services are more expensive, such as gas. We did pay less to register our new vehicle in Florida for two years than we did for one year on a vehicle in Iowa. Enjoyment:  It is blissful to play cards on our lanai, stroll the nearby parks and paths, splash in the pool, and know the time when hearing Magic Kingdom Fireworks.  

Living here is a dream fulfilled for us.  The location of our home--in Walt Disney World's backyard and not far from Universal, the amenities in our community, and the ease of living in our home as we age are benefits we imagined.